Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles Explains How Trials Throughout His NFL Career Have Strengthened His Christian Faith

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Nov 14, 2019

Former Super Bowl champion Nick Foles lost his job as starting QB for the Jacksonville Jaguars following an injury earlier this year, but revealed to reporters on Wednesday that he never lost his faith or doubted himself – not even for a second.

“Right when I felt this thing breaking, I was going into the locker room. I just realized, you know, I just realized, God, this wasn’t exactly what I was thinking when I came to Jacksonville,” he said.

“Obviously you come here, and you want to create a culture and impact people, but at the end of the day, if God, this is the journey you want me to go on, I am going to glorify you in every action good or bad, and I still could have joy in an injury,” he explained.

Foles explained that his Super Bowl trophy meant little in comparison to his faith in Christ, which is the ultimate reward.

“People hear that and say that’s crazy, but it’s like when you believe in Jesus and you go out there and play, and that changes your heart, and you only understand it when, you know, that purpose in your life, just like when I hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, the reason I’m smiling is my faith was in Christ. In that moment, I realized I didn’t need that trophy to define who I was because it was already in Christ, and that’s my message when I play. Same thing happens when I get injured,” he said.

Foles was just getting started, and he continued to explain his Christian philosophy from there.

“We tend to make this so much about us as human beings. We tend to make it about us as athletes. It is not about us. It really isn’t, and if you make it about yourself, you’re probably going to go home at night, lay your head on your pillow and be very alone and very sad, and then hopefully someday you can find that purpose in your life,” Foles explained.

“Our purpose isn’t football. It’s impacting people, and my ministry happens to be the locker room, and I have been able still to get to know people, get to know these guys through an injury. Though I might not be playing, that is difficult from a fleshly perspective, but from the spiritual perspective, from my heart, I have been able to grow as a human being to where I feel like I am at a better situation here as a person than I was before because of the trial I just went under,” he said.

Foles added that he “does not believe in the prosperity gospel.” He believes that the word of God is about “trials along the way” that “equip your heart to be what you are” before giving respect to the coach of his opposing team this weekend.

The entire comment can be heard here:

After Foles won the Super Bowl MVP with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup Quarterback in 2018, he gracefully stepped aside the following season and went back to the bench when the starter fully healed – a showing of humility and sportsmanship that is rare in this day and age.

“The presence of faith is not unique to the Eagles, though the way in which it has manifested might be,” ESPN reported.

Foles plans to become a pastor after he retires from the NFL.